Fish Rain in Amalapuram, India

Various Indian media sources, including the Times of India, reported a rain of fish in Amalapuram, a town in the East Godavari district of the state of Andhra Pradesh.

The event took place on 17 December at around 4pm, just as cyclone Phethai hit the coastline near Yanam, around 40km north-east of Amalapuram.

The report stated that nearly 100 fish (known locally as Gidasalu in the Telegu language) had fallen onto land beside a canal and in front of a municipal school.

The various news reports do not feature any direct witnesses to the Amalapuram fall. The Times’ report states the event was first shared in a WhatsApp group by a friend of the original owner of the video.

Based on the video, the Cropster’s preliminary view is that the fish may have originated in the canal and been deposited on the ground by flooding from the cyclone rains. After the rain stopped, the fish were left stranded. In fact, one comment left on the Times Of India Facebook page stated that these fish often come out of ponds and canals after rain and are eaten by locals.